Flowing with the River of God's Spirit

Devotional

Day 1: The River of God Transforms Barren Places

The river of God is a powerful metaphor for the life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit flowing through us. This divine river is not just for us but for those around us, bringing life and growth wherever it flows. Just as floods in the outback of Australia transform dry lands into flourishing fields, the Holy Spirit's presence can turn barren places in our lives into areas of fruitfulness and vitality. This transformation is not limited to our personal lives but extends to the world around us, as we become conduits of God's love and grace. [02:04]

Ezekiel 47:9 (ESV): "And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes."

Reflection: Identify a barren area in your life or community. How can you invite the Holy Spirit to bring transformation and life to this area today?

Day 2: Responding to Jesus' Invitation

Jesus invites all who are thirsty to come to Him and drink, promising that rivers of living water will flow from within them. This invitation is not just a call to receive but demands a response from us to allow the Holy Spirit to impact our lives and the lives of others. By accepting this invitation, we open ourselves to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, allowing His presence to flow through us and touch those around us. This is a call to action, urging us to actively seek and embrace the life-giving water that Jesus offers. [03:21]

John 7:38-39 (ESV): "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."

Reflection: What steps can you take today to respond to Jesus' invitation and allow the Holy Spirit to flow through you to impact others?

Day 3: Our True Value Lies in the Divine Presence

We are containers of the Holy Spirit, and our true value lies in the divine presence within us. As we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we become channels of His love, joy, peace, and all the fruits of the Spirit, bringing healing and life to the world. This understanding shifts our focus from external achievements to the internal work of the Spirit, recognizing that our worth is rooted in God's presence within us. By embracing this truth, we can live out our calling to be vessels of God's grace and love in a world in need. [12:42]

2 Corinthians 4:7 (ESV): "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us."

Reflection: How can you focus on nurturing the divine presence within you today, rather than seeking validation from external achievements?

Day 4: Recognizing Opportunities for God's River to Flow

God promises to do something new, making pathways through the wilderness and creating rivers in the wasteland. This is a call to recognize the dry places in our lives and the world as opportunities for the river of God to flow, bringing clarity, justice, mercy, and grace. By identifying these areas, we can invite God's transformative presence to bring renewal and hope. This perspective encourages us to see challenges as opportunities for God's work, trusting in His promise to bring life to even the most desolate places. [07:48]

Isaiah 43:19 (ESV): "Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

Reflection: What is one dry place in your life or community where you can invite God's river to flow and bring transformation?

Day 5: Continual Filling of the Holy Spirit

To be filled with the Holy Spirit, we must come to God with a thirst for more of Him, asking Him to fill us and allowing others to pray for us. This continual process of being replenished and refreshed allows the river to flow through us into the lives of others, touching and transforming them. The river of God is not just a single stream but multiple rivers flowing into different areas of our lives and the world, bringing the presence of God wherever we go. This ongoing filling empowers us to live out our faith dynamically and impactfully. [16:13]

Ephesians 5:18-19 (ESV): "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart."

Reflection: How can you intentionally seek a continual filling of the Holy Spirit today, and who can you invite to pray for you in this journey?

Sermon Summary

The river of God is a powerful metaphor for the life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit flowing through us. This series has been an exploration of how this divine river can transform not only our lives but also the lives of those around us. The river flows from the throne of God, as described in Ezekiel and Revelation, and it is meant to flow in us and through us, bringing life to barren places. Jesus spoke of this river in John 7, inviting all who are thirsty to come to Him and drink, promising that rivers of living water would flow from within them. This invitation is not just for the people of Jerusalem but for us today, demanding a response from us to allow this river to impact our lives.

The river of God is transformative, much like the floods in the outback of Australia that turn dry lands into flourishing fields. When the Holy Spirit flows through us, it brings life, growth, and fruitfulness. We are called to be containers of this living water, filled with the Holy Spirit, so that we can pour out His presence into the lives of others. The value of our lives is not in the external but in the divine presence within us. As we allow the Holy Spirit to fill us, we become channels of His love, joy, peace, and all the fruits of the Spirit, bringing healing and life to the world around us.

In Isaiah 43:19, God promises to do something new, making pathways through the wilderness and creating rivers in the wasteland. This is a call to recognize the dry places in our lives and the world as opportunities for the river of God to flow. The river brings clarity, justice, mercy, and grace, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb. It is a reminder that God is on the throne, and His presence brings light and life.

To be filled with the Holy Spirit, we must come to God with a thirst for more of Him, asking Him to fill us and allowing others to pray for us. This filling is not a one-time event but a continual process of being replenished and refreshed. As we are filled, the river flows through us into the lives of others, touching and transforming them. The river of God is not just a single stream but multiple rivers flowing into different areas of our lives and the world, bringing the presence of God wherever we go.

Key Takeaways

1. The river of God is a metaphor for the Holy Spirit's life-giving presence, meant to flow in and through us, transforming barren places into flourishing fields. This divine river is not just for us but for those around us, bringing life and growth wherever it flows. [02:04]
2. Jesus invites all who are thirsty to come to Him and drink, promising that rivers of living water will flow from within them. This invitation demands a response from us to allow the Holy Spirit to impact our lives and the lives of others. [03:21]
3. We are containers of the Holy Spirit, and our true value lies in the divine presence within us. As we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we become channels of His love, joy, peace, and all the fruits of the Spirit, bringing healing and life to the world. [12:42]
4. God promises to do something new, making pathways through the wilderness and creating rivers in the wasteland. This is a call to recognize the dry places in our lives and the world as opportunities for the river of God to flow, bringing clarity, justice, mercy, and grace. [07:48]
5. To be filled with the Holy Spirit, we must come to God with a thirst for more of Him, asking Him to fill us and allowing others to pray for us. This continual process of being replenished and refreshed allows the river to flow through us into the lives of others, touching and transforming them. [16:13]
** [16:13]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:36] - Celebrating Milestones
[01:19] - The River of God
[02:04] - Jesus and the River
[02:44] - The Feast Setting
[03:21] - Invitation to the Thirsty
[04:08] - The Holy Spirit's Promise
[05:32] - Transformation of the Outback
[06:15] - Rivers Bringing Life
[07:01] - Where the River Flows
[07:48] - God Doing Something New
[08:30] - The Effect of the River
[09:13] - God's Throne and the Lamb
[10:28] - Light and Clarity
[11:17] - Being a Container
[12:42] - Filled with the Holy Spirit
[14:08] - The Value Within
[16:13] - Getting Filled
[18:16] - Rivers, Not Just a Dribble
[19:39] - The River's Global Flow
[20:17] - Prayer for Filling

Sermon Clips

The river flows from the throne of God Ezekiel and Revelation are two great passages that talk about the river of God on my heart here today is to help bring this home to you and help it flow not just around you but actually in you and through you to other people. [00:01:27]

Jesus stood up and shouted out to the crowds "All you thirsty ones... All you thirsty ones come to me over here. Come Come and drink Believe in me so that rivers of living water will burst out from within you flowing from your innermost being Just like the scripture says." [00:03:19]

When the river flows it causes a transformation. There's fish in the river. There's green grass growing. There's some beautiful flowers growing in the country. If you drive through the outback of Australia and you go back through down towards Broken Hill from here you'll drive over irrigation channels and you'll see these amazing pastures that once were dry and desolate. [00:05:46]

In Isaiah 43:19 it says "For I'm about to do something new." I love this. See I've already begun. Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness and I'll create dry rivers in the wasteland. Here's when you read this in the context of Jesus talking about rivers of living water flowing through you. [00:07:44]

The angel showed me a river with the water of life that's clear as crystal flowing from the throne of God and from the lamb. What beautiful picture of this that this river comes from God. It's clear. It brings clarity. It's the throne of God which speaks to me of God's justice and security and sovereignty and reign. [00:08:37]

Scripture talks about us as being a container of the Holy Spirit. And sometimes we think our value is in the plastic on the outside. Well, yes, that's pretty special because it's made by God. Actually, you're not an accident. You're someone created by him, designed by him, purposed by him, put in a shape by him in a space by him. [00:12:20]

So when you have someone come over for dinner do you put an empty bottle on the table and say "Would you like a drink?" No of course not. That's a silly thought isn't it? So what do you do? You fill the bottle so you got something to give. That's like us. You're filled and Jesus talked about being the Holy Spirit to be given. [00:13:12]

Get replenished. Get refreshed. Get filled again. There's a river that would flow from the throne of God. So take time to fill up. There's two things to help me fill up. One is when I come to God and say "God would you fill me with the Holy Spirit would you pour your help your spirit upon me?" [00:15:49]

The word for river here in this scripture out of your being shall flow rivers of living water actually is not pontimous which means river. It's ponttomayi which means rivers. It is rivers. Everyone say rivers. It's not a little dribble. It's rivers into this person's life that flows into their world and into their world. [00:17:56]

The river is still flowing. The river is still flowing into people's lives as they meaning to worship the living God as they lifting their hands to pray and seek God in Ethiopia. All around this world the river is flowing. In countries where it's permitted to worship in countries where it's not permitted to worship. [00:19:39]

God pour out your Holy Spirit upon our lives. And may you flow through us into the lives of people around about us. God fill us again with your Holy Spirit. Fill us again with your Holy Spirit. That's my prayer today. What's your prayer? Are you thirsty? Are you thirsty? [00:20:17]

One of the things about being a container designed to be filled by God is we need him to wash the container clean. I'm going to lead us in a prayer. It's a prayer we would pray when we come to know Jesus. And maybe today it's for you a prayer of rededication because there's things that need to be cleaned from the inside of the container. [00:21:42]

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